Blogs from Cuba, Central America Caribbean - page 9

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Goodbye to this wonderful town, and to our welcoming hosts.... read more
The other English-speaking sister, before she left for her job in town.
Goodbye to Odalis


Cojimar is a tiny fishing village east of Havana. It is a shrine to Hemingway who kept his boat , El Pilar, here, and wrote "The Old Man and the Sea." The location hasn't changed since the Spencer Tracy movie of the same name. Unfortunately, it is now rundown, and we were glad we cancelled our longer stay, as there is little to do there now. Tour buses arrive and leave after a couple of hours maximum.... read more
Cojimar Bay - This is Where the Book is Set
The Water Front is Rather Dilapidated, but the Water Clear!
Homage to Papa Hemingway #1


Odalis, who came to clean every day at our Casa Particular, invited us to her finca, to meet her family and animals... read more
They show us their mixed-use farm
Horse-power
Odalis's family

Central America Caribbean » Cuba April 29th 2018

Valle de los Ingenios, Valley of the Sugar Mills, is a series of three interconnected valleys about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) outside of Trinidad, Cuba. The three valleys, San Luis, Santa Rosa, and Meyer, were a centre for sugar production from the late 18th century until the late 19th century. (Wilikipedia) Based on the slave trade, sugar production was the most highly mechanized in the world, with narrow-guage railways. It lasted from the late 18th century to the late 19th. The area is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.... read more
Panorama of the Valle
Remaining Plantation Building #1
#2

Central America Caribbean » Cuba April 28th 2018

I had always imagined the Caribbean Sea to be crystal clear, but today the wind whipped up the sand loaded with strands of seaweed. Playa Ancon is about 6 miles from the town centre, we taxied there to save time.... read more
The Most Wonderful Coffee Ever Tasted!
Ancona beach
Water rather sandy

Central America Caribbean » Cuba April 24th 2018

Go two blocks down to the Malecon, turn left away from Habana Vieja to the newer, once-fashionable district of Vedado. La Rampa is the center of this neighborhood, where moviegoers, university students wander in the parks, go to concerts and enjoy ice creams from La Coppelia.... read more
Sunday stroll
Internet hotspot-the only access for Cubans
What a building!

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana April 17th 2018

Havana, Cuba People to People Cars, Art, Canons and Cemeteries Finally, the heart of our cruise, Havana, Cuba. This has been on the bucket list for years. Cuba, so very close, 90 miles to Key West, Florida, and yet unreachable for most Americans. Visa’s and passports in hand we disembark in Old Town Havana. We head down the gangway to the terminal where we go first through a metal detector just like at the airport, then down another hall where we line up in front of a half dozen, small immigration and customs stations. One person at a time, we step forward until it is our turn. Cope goes first. I can’t see the officer as the glass is frosted, but I see Cope, who is seriously answering questions from the officer. I see his passport ... read more
Railroad
Havana Old Town
Art Cooperative

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Centro » Trinidad April 13th 2018

Sorry to overload you with two stories in quick succession but Cuba turned out to be an internet black hole. No contact with the outside world for 12 days! I haven’t lived like this since 1997. So, I have written two entries and published back to back. If you like Italian food but don’t like going to Italy, then Cuba is for you. Every restaurant here does pizza and pasta and some will serve a proper meal for $1.50. The currency used by tourists in Cuba is CUC, Convertible Cuban Pesos. CUC are equal to USD so it is easy to work out what everything costs in your usual currency. Back to the Cuban gastronomy though. You don’t have to eat Italian every night. The local cuisine can be interesting too. Some good meals have been ... read more
It just had to be done!
Horse and cart ride in Cienfuegos
First Solo Dodgem Car Ride!

Central America Caribbean » Cuba » Oeste » La Habana April 6th 2018

First impression of Cuba. The customs officials. This is where Robert Palmer’s backing singers went. The uniforms are not mini-skirts, but micros with fishnet stockings and not one of them smiled. We wanted to take a photo but thought we might end up in a Cuban jail. Havana’s airport is about half an hour away from the center of town. We had been told that Cuban organization was more fluid than we might be used to. So, after we got through customs and we were looking for our driver that had been arranged to take us from the airport we were not surprised that we couldn’t find him. It took some negotiating with the lady at the information desk after which we were expecting to pay a guy to drive us to his friend’s casa particular ... read more
One of many old cars in Cuba
Good restaurant "5esquinas"
Old Cuban Jet

Central America Caribbean » Cuba March 14th 2018

Frustrated for years with no information on the internet about travel to Cuba from the USA, I couldn't believe it when my new dental student said she was from there! "How do I get there from California?" I asked. "Contact one of the many agents in Miami, and they will fix you up." Within 24 hours I had visa forms and charter flight tickets ready to go! My friend from the UK had a much easier ride, of course, but booking home stays proved equally frustrating. The locals have limited access to the internet, so when we thought we had somewhere to say, we didn't, It all turned out well and we had the most marvelous vacation!... read more
View from the balcony
Look left!
I wonder how long this neighbor has lived here




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